Joint-cutter



(No Model.) 2 Sheets- Sheet 1. B. J. SPILKER JOINT CUTTER- .737Viz-2127.1"

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B. J. SPILKER. JOINT GUTTBR.

No. 541,952. l Patented July 2, 18'95.

i .Zfif/E far I n, Jam (QM? a .1 I fi M A/ 3 NTTED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

BERNARD J. SPILKER, OF CINCINNATI, OHIO.

JOINT-CUTTER.

3PECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 541,952, dated July 2,1895.

Application fi ed May 21, 1894- Serial No. 511,913. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, BERNARD J. SPILKER, a citizen of the United States,and a resident of Cincinnati, Hamilton county, State of Ohio,

have invented certain new and useful Imthe reference letters andnumerals marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to improvements in joint-cutters, which aremachines for cutting theends of framesections for picture frames,moldings, &c., in such a manner that said sections are ready to bejoined together at the proper angle to form frames. This angle isusually a right angle, for which purpose the ends of the sections arecut off at an angle of forty-fivedegrees to form what is called amiter-joint. The material for the frames comes in long strips which arefed to the machine and cut by it to the proper lengths, the lines ofseparation being so that the adjoining ends of each of the two separatedpieces receive at the same time the proper angle for joining. Theimprovements on such machines and which form the subject of thisinvention relate to means to support the work ina manner that, whenintricate moldings are out which have rabbets or are under-cut and lacksubstance for support at such points, such weak parts are prevented frombeing broken down or splintered by the knives while they do the work andto details of construction and minor accessories, which will be referredto at the proper time.

In the following specification and particularly pointed out in theclaims, is found a full description of my invention, its operation,parts and construction, the latter being also illustrated in theaccompanying drawings, in which-- Figure 1 is aperspective view of themachine complete and adjusted for cutting off square ends. Fig. 2 is ahorizontal section of the same, taken above the bed-plate and adjustedfor cutting miter-joints, other adjustments being shown in dotted lines.Fig. 3 is a vertical central section of the bed-plate and adjacentparts. Figs. 4 and 5 show in views similar to Fig. 3 manner ofsupporting undercut and rabbeted moldings while being cut. Figs. 6, 7,and 8 show the lines on which the machine cuts.

10 is the base of the machine.

11 is the bed-plate and 12 is a standard or bracket on it, provided atits front face with guides 13 in which the knife-carrier 14:, slides.

branches 15, symmetrically arranged extending from the center line ofthe machine and are at right angles to each other. These branches carrythe knives 16, also at right angles to each other, resting againstshoulders on said branches and coming together at the apex of the angle.They are also inclined, the inner ends being higher than the outer ones,so that they act with a shearing out, which causes less strain on themachine and produces a smoother cutting surface. The verticallyreciprocating motion of the knifecarrier and its knives is produced by acrank 17, connected by alink 18 to the carrier. The link is in twoparts, the ends of which are screw-threaded,one right and the otherleft, which ends are connected by a nut 19 correspondingly threaded, sothat by an operation of such nut, the length of link 18 may be adjusted.Its principal adjustment consists of a gradual lengthening of said linkwhereby the knife-carrier descends lower and is enabled to carry, withinreasonable limits, the knives always to the same point thus compensatingfor their wear. Crank 17 is operated by a shaft 20, passing through aslot 21, in the knife-carrier and into standard 12, which supports it.It extends out of the latter and carries a cog-wheel 22 driven by apinion 23 on a stud shaft which is rotated by a pulley 24 receiving itsmotion from a mo tor. A suitable clutch-mechanism 28, connected by a rod29 to a treadle 80, serves to disconnect shaft from the power-mechanism,whenever it is desirable to stop the motion of the knife-carrier.

31 is a fence rising at right angles from the bed-plate and when in itsnormal adjustment for miter-joint cutting (see Fig. 2) is at rightangles to a line which bisects the angle between the knives, or which isthe same, the

This latter at its lower end divides in two cutting-edge of each knifeforms an angle of forty-five degrees with the fence. When a molding,frame, 850., is placed against thelatter while in this position, a cutresults, as shown in Fig. 6, the piece being completely separated andeach end cut off at an angle of forty-five degrees, so that the pieces,when joined together, will form a right angle as shown by dotted linesinsame figure. When the stuff to be cut is of considerable thickness, thecut may be divided, to lessen the strain on the machine, so that thefirst cut removes only a part of the wood (see Fig. 7), in which casesuccessive cuts are applied, as shown by dotted lines in same figure,until the wood is completely severed. This is done by moving the fencefirst back to the desired position as for instance at a, indicated bydotted lines in Fig. 2, after which the stuff is laid against it and thefirst cut made. The two, that is the fence and the stuff are now movedsuccessively forward as many times as intermediate cuts are necessary,until a final cut accomplishes the separation. For the purpose of thisadjustment, a slidingbedplate 32 is provided, the top of which is on alevel with bed-plate 11, and which sliding bed-plate carries the fence.It has slides 33 guided by ways 34, on each side, so thatduring itsmovement its angular relation to the knives is not disturbed. For itsmovement a lever 35 is provided, having a slot mid-length which engageswith the stud 36, on the under side of the sliding bed-plate. It ispi-voted at 37 and has near its handle-portion a spring actuatedlocking-pin 38 which normally engages with any one of a number of holes39 by which engagement the sliding bed-plate with the fence may belocked in any particular position. The adjustment just now described mayalso be used to cut risers for stairs, (see Fig. 8,) where a completeseparation of the wood is not desired.

A further adjustment for cutting ends ed at right angles, or any otherangle, is obtained by making fence 31, in two parts, eachswinging in ahorizontal plane on a center-post 40, to which they are hinged. Such anadjustment of the right half of the fence is shown in dotted lines byposition b, in Fig. 2, where the end is cutoff at an angle other thanfortyfive degrees. In Fig. 1, the right half of the fence isadjusted tocut off the ends square. By this form of adjustment only one piece canbe cut at a time. For the purpose of holding'either fence-section in theposition to which it has been adjusted, they have lugs 41, which carryset-screws 42, passing through slots 44, inthe sliding bed-plate andengage with nuts below, whereby they arelocked to the bed-plate. This isone form of locking parts to adjusted positions, well understood bymachinists and may be accomplished in other similar Ways. Moldings aresometimes undercut (see Fig. 4) while'such stufi? which is used forpicture-frames is always provided with a rabbet at 0 (see Figs. 4 and 5)which receives the glass when the frame is completed. The unsupportedwood at such points and especially when the grain is short (see Fig. 4)is liable to be crushed down by the knives, unless provision is made toprevent it. I guard against this objection by-two sets of supports, oneset 45, affixed to guides 46, and carried in grooves 47 of the fence.The other set 48 is held in boxes 49 having shanks 50 clamped inposition by brackets 51. Both sets are vertically adjustable, as may bereadily understood. Set 45 is held in position by set-screws 52 passingin from the rear through slots 47 in the fence. This latter set is alsointerchangeable so that different shapes may be used to conform to theformation of the moldings at the particular point where they supportthem. (See Figs. 1, 3, 4, and 5.) To prevent supports 48 from springingor bending down when narrow stuff is cutand they as a consequence haveto bepushed quite far out of their supporting boxes 49, to reach suchstuff, I provide screws 53 which pass through them and rest on thebed-plate. They may be screwed in or out according to the height of thesupport and by resting always on the bed-plate hold up the support. Forsquare stulfl-as shown in Fig. 1, no supports are required and supports45 are altogether removed, while supports 48 are turned in theirbrackets 51 and swung out of the way. A graduated rod 54 is affixed tothe fence which carries a stop 55 which by means of a setscrew issecured in the required position and determines the length of the pieceswhen one of their ends is put against itbefore cutting. This length isthe distance from the stop to the point where the knives come together.

. The stop is cut out/at 56 to receive the pointed end when miter jointsare out, (see Fig. 2,) while for square ended work it is reversed asshownin Fig. 1.

57 is another measuring-scale extending outfrom the bed-plate and may beused for thin work and in cases where the scale on rod 54 is notavailable.

58 is a chute which receives the chips and prevents them fromaccumulating at the operators feet Where they would interfere with themanipulation of the treadle.

Having described my invention, I claim as new v 1. In a joint-cutter,the combination of the vertically reciprocating knife carrier andknives, the supporting table below, a sliding bed-plate 32, capable oflinear adjustment toward or from the path of motion of the knives and ina plane at right angles to said path, a centerpo'st rising on saidbed-plate, two fencesections hinged thereto, and each section capable ofradial adjustment toward or from this path of motion of the knives andin a plane at right angles to said path means to lock thesefence-sections to the bed-plate after their adjustment, slides 33 on thesliding bedplate and way s 34, wherebythe latter is guided duringadjustment, an operating lever 35,

IIO

passing transversely below the bed-plate, en-

gaging with thelatter about midway, pivoted at one end and having itsother end adapted to be locked in position, to hold all parts to theiradjustment.

2. In a joint-cutter the combination of the vertically reciprocatingknifecarrier and knives, the supporting table below, a fence for thepurpose of placing the stufi in its proper angular position to theknives to provertically reciprocating knife carrier and knives, thesupporting table below, a fence for the purpose of placing the stufit inits proper angular position to the knives to produce the proper cut, aframe to support all these parts, brackets 51 secured thereto, boxes 49,vertically adjustable thereon, supports 48 horizontally adjustablewithin the latter and screws 53, to support the outer ends of supports48 on the table to prevent the latter from being bent or broken downduring the cutting operation of the knives.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

BERNARD J. S PILKER.

Wi tnesses C. SPENGEL, WM. KRAMER.

